Heron - 3-9-2012 at 07:16 AM
Hey all,
Writing to you from Mui Ne Beach, Vietnam, where I have spent the last couple days trying to learn to kitesurf, and I'm now addicted to powerkiting.
Unfortunately, I have to leave in the morning to head back to work in Washington, DC. I'm looking to buy a land kite that would be good cross training
for kitesurfing but that I could also learn to jump on land with.
My kitesurfing skills are modest, but I can do body drags up and down wind and can water start. Haven't really gotten good rides yet (instructor
holding the back of the harness during the waterstarts). I'm an expert sailor and windsurfer, and I can see that kiting is the future for me. I've
been flying a 9m kite with 24m lines with the harness in 10-20 mph wind. It seems that whatever land kite I get must be smaller.
I definitely want a four line kite, as I think controlling the sheeting and the front and back of the kite separately is part of what will make kiting
so fun.
Reading through the forum makes me think that a 5m kite might be good. The handles seem great for landkiting, but I like using the bar and the harness
in the kitesurfing depower kites. It is possible to get a kite that could be used with either the bar (as in kitesurfing) or handles (for jumping on
land).
I'm looking for something that can be used in the lighter winds I expect around DC (5-20 mph).
Any advice on kite models, kite sizes, and whether it's possible to get a kite that works with handles or a kitesurfing like bar (with a harness)
would be much appreciated. Thanks!!
I'm about 5'10" 150 lbs, thin but athletic, and looking for a first kite that will be challenging and fun.
snowspider - 3-9-2012 at 08:20 AM
If I had to do it over again I would start with a small inflatable and progress thru the whole series of whatever I bought. A "kitesurfing/kite for
use on water" will serve you just as well on land but the opposite is not always true. There are lei (leading edge inflatable) kites from 3meter up
to huge. You could use a 3m for training and muscle memory, recreational in a park , a 5m for inland gusty wind and/or on an ATB or skates , 7m when
you get good on the water in storm conditions, 9m you allready know how and when to use one. I'm the same size as yourself and you can see the
managerie of kites I've aquired thru trial and error , an expensive and time wasting method of starting out. Its pretty hard to beat a whole series
to begin with , then experiment when you have a higher level of skills and comfort.
Welcome to the forum good luck and have fun.
lives2fly - 3-9-2012 at 09:29 AM
I agree with Snow spider on this apart from that if you are still at the stage where you are crashing the kite often do not fly an LEI on land as it
will not last long. The leading edge is not designed to take hard impacts on land.
The accepted wisdom is that you learn to fly with a 3-4m foil. I learned with a 3.5m which I still fly often when its too stormy to fly anything else!
You can fly any small foil with a bar or handles so you can have one kite and one set of 4 lines but attach the bar or handles to it. I would by your
kite with a bar and then buy handles seperately (its easier to get the bar wrong)
If your goal is kitesurfing then you need to get kitesurf kites and get on the water. You cannot learn to kitesurf on the land altough any time with a
kite in you hands understanding the wind and how kites work will help the big picture.
There are no short cuts or one kite solutions unfortunately. I had a half hearted attempt at kitesurfing a couple of years back at the same time as
learning to land board but did not get on well due to trying to learn everything on my Peter Lynn Venom. I was overpowered on the land and
underpowered on the water. Started again this summer and I am doing pretty well now.
My advice is buy a trainer kite and learn to fly. Then choose a traction sport and spend your time and money on that specifically. Hope you stick with
it - the learning process can be quite frustrating without more experience friends to help you along the way so if you can find people to kite with
that will help too.
Good starter kite optons would be a Flexifoil rage or older Bullet (used market) an Ozone Octane or Flow, A PKD Buster, A peter lynn Hornet, or an HQ
Beamer.
Heron - 5-9-2012 at 12:19 AM
Thank you snowspider and lives2fly! I appreciate your advice. I think that getting a LEI for my next kite might make sense, but for now I definitely
will be using at crashing it on land.
What does everyone think of these kites as possibilities:
PL Twister IIR in 4.1m2 or 5.6m2
Peter Lynn Hornet (II) in 4m2 or 5m2
HQ Beamer 3m2 or 4m2
Ozone Octane 3m2 or 4m2
Whichever kite I get, I will plan to try it with handles as well as the Ozone Turbo control bar and harness (because it seems like it is good training
for a depower kiteboarding kite).
I like the idea of jumping while on my feet (I live in the heart of DC so I can get to fields to fly in one place but much harder to get to water, or
snow, or open fields to ride), which is why I have the Twister 5.6 on the list. Would this be dumb for a first kite?
Another option is to get something like the Beamer or Octane in 3.0, which the idea that my girlfriend (who has a few hours of experience in playing
with a LEI at the beach and who weighs only about 110 lbs) or friends could learn on it too. I think if I went that route I would want to upgrade
quickly to a bigger kite (as I like getting my butt kicked when learning new sports).
lives2fly - 5-9-2012 at 03:45 AM
Any of those kites will serve you well as a trainer though the Twister is a little more high performance. I would stick to light winds (no more than
10 knots) for your first few sessions if you get a 5m+.
A 5.6m twister has more power than a 9m LEI and is quite alot faster through the air so just be cautious. If you are not going to struggle to find the
cash to upgrade later I would still start with a 3-4m and fly that for a few months. or buy 2 kites to start with and only use the bigger one when the
winds are light.
Kamikuza - 5-9-2012 at 03:49 AM
Jumping on land... forget about it at this stage!
Why not just buy a small depower foil, right now? Learn to pick your days, trim it for max depower and fly unhooked (but with a safety) so you can
just let go until you get your QR safety reflex down..
Kamikuza - 5-9-2012 at 03:49 AM
Oh yeah and... welcome! :D
abkayak - 5-9-2012 at 06:01 AM
i fly in a place a lot like you, Long Island....... any way there is no getting around it you need 2 more kites. don't even try to hide from this
fact. Everyone needs a 3m and a 5m FB. life is way too short to screw around. With the other 2 kites you have you can get out in anything........think
about it, you know i'm right. Your girlfriend will understand. You want to be nice than let her try the 3 when she is ready.
Bladerunner - 5-9-2012 at 06:45 AM
You will have to put in a bit more time before jumping on land. Better to set your sites on more of a trainer.
I am extremely fond of putting my 7m Pulse in the hands of people with minimum experience. Everybody seems to take to that kite right off. The closed
cell is a HOOJ advantage both in learning by floating inflated and staying that way for reverse launch. The fact it works on water is great as well.
Flysurfer build all sorts of brilliant things into the kite to protect it from mistakes. Break away tabs will release at a pound rating. Blow out
holes to prevent cell blow out ...
Pulse and Pulse II are selling at shocking low second hand prices right now. so , I suggest a 7m Pulse or 8m Pulse II . Both will fly in pretty low
wind and take you into the strong stuff !
cheezycheese - 5-9-2012 at 07:43 AM
You need to hook up with Ragden and Weldngod or SilverEagleKiter on this forum. I think Ragden (Mike) is in DC or close. The othe two (Donnie and
Nick) are in VA. But they will show you the ropes before you start spending money. Try out a few different kites (plus a buggy and ATB) and see what
you like. :Ange09: